Okay, that was lame, but if you're reading this it got your attention. I was wondering if there are people that can point me in the direction of the martial history of Holland (or the Netherlands, same thing) from almost anything up to the Renaissance.
I've only recently gotten an interest in WMA (note join date), but I've always been rather interested as to what sorts of weaponry, armour and tactics were used in Holland before it became Holland as I now know it.
Anyway, please note that the post says 'point me in the direction', I'd prefferably have sites or books recommended. After all if I didn't want to do any reading or studying, why would I wonder in the first place?
Anyway, I'd just like to know what would be a good place to start, as said my interest is broad, but if I should have to specify anything, I'm going with Mediaeval times primarily (again very broad, I know).

Now that were a lot of 'anyway's, but help would nonetheless be appreciated.

(I seem to recall a forum member's profile linking to a website on iron age Dutch tribes, but can't recall which member that was specifically and of course I didn't bookmark the page, anyone noticed as well?)

EDIT: after sifting through 57 pages of the memberlist I found what I found the profile, and thus link, I was looking for
http://1500bc.com/bronzeage/

J. F. Verbruggen covers the medieval period very well in * The Art of Warfare in Western Europe during the Middle Ages (From the Eighth Century to 1340). This was translated and republished from the original work:

In 1954, the eminent Belgian historian J.F. Verbruggen published De Krijgskunst in West-Europa in de Middeleeuwen IXe tot begin XIV eeeuw.

You might be able to get it at your local library.

You might want to check on things about the Batavian Revolts on one hand and the "republics" existing under the Holy Roman Empire in the other. Some of the latter were of Dutch or at least Low Countries provenance, and I believe they're at least partially covered in Veerbruggen.

(Argh. Typos galore. I shouldn't have tried to type with one hand while drinking with the other.)

Here are some fellows in your area doing some rather in-depth research and reenacting of the 15th Century:

http://www.medievalproductions.nl/compagnie_de_ordonnance/

And some other fellows doing slightly later period research and reenacting here:

http://www.compagniegrolle.nl/index1.html

Cheers!

Gordon

This is a website...

http://www.liebaart.org/goeden_e.htm

... which I found when researching the infamous "godendag" weapon. It covers the era of the critical Battle of Golden Spurs, one of the three critical defeats of the mounted Nobility in the late 13th / early 14th centuries (the others being in Scotland and Switzerland) which set the stage for the rise of infantry and the pike square et-al, and ultimately the gradual decline of the Knight.

Hope that helps some

Jean

have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Netherlands , I haven't looked at it in detail yet but it looks fairly detailed. It is also available in dutch.